Thursday, January 29, 2009

back to work

I started back at work yesterday.

It was, and still is, bloody hot!

Yesterday topped 43C. (109F) Today 44.8C (112.64F). Tomorrow will be about 43 again! Overnight we have got down to 29C (84.2F). Tonight will be 27C (80.6F).

I have minimal air conditioning and I am not turning it on when I get home as the room it is in gets the strongest afternoon sun. Despite this I have slept well.

Starting work yesterday I developed a nasty headache which had migraine-like side effects (bloodshot eye). I was a bit of a pain to be around - what with the idea of going back to work, the heat and then the amazing amount of noise amongst the staff just threw me completely.

I was a bit out of it. I didn't know but a few others noticed.

Today was better for me but not for a 'local'.

As I left school I saw a little possum struggling to cross the hot road. I moved closer to it and it tried to find comfort with me. Possums just don't come near humans.

I tried feeding him some water but it was not working. I picked him up and walked back to the school. A parent of an ex student stopped and helped me by picking up my gear. When we got into the school I wrapped the little baby in a wet towel and got instructions to the nearest vet from Scott, who also put a box together for me to carry the possum in.

Unfortunately the possum didn't make it. When I got to the vet he told me that lots of possums have been brought in. A lot of possums make their homes in the roof of peoples houses. With the temperatures we've been having it must be SOOOOOO hot in the roof. The vet was thinking most roof cavities were closer to 50C (122F) or more!

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. It wont be cooler but a cool change is coming......apparently.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh - that's sad, poor little fella! You took such good care of him though!

River said...

I'm glad you at least tried to save the possum.